The Two Of Us
by QuoteMyFoot
Summary: A collection of oneshots in the 20 Truths format. Creative licence will be used to the full. 15: Jiraiya never had children. But then again, he did have Minato, and that was enough.
1. Tsunade & Jiraiya

**I: Truths From Which She Runs  
**

Tsunade tells herself she will never love Jiraiya.

* * *

**1. He is the reason she's so vain.  
**When she first met him, Tsunade was both flattered and peeved that this stupid pervert insulted the size of her chest and had the gall to expect a love letter at the same time. Then she spent some more time with him, and realised he said the same thing to everyone. Well, she wasn't going to stand for _that_. She was going to make this bastard regret treating her like every other woman he met. So she started wearing make-up outside of training and missions, and it all went downhill from there.

**2. Out of the Legendary Sannin, he is the only true legend.  
**Orochimaru is barely human, and his followers are almost as twisted as he is. Tsunade is a broken old woman unable to let go of her past; her students are good, but Shizune will never have her skills and Sakura is even _more_ lost in the past. Jiraiya is a gallant pervert with no regrets, and his two students are legendary in their own right. The Sannin would be a minor footnote in history, but Jiraiya would live forever. She doesn't miss the irony that he's the only one of them who wouldn't want to.

**3. He writes porn for a living.  
**That one doesn't even need explaining...

**4. When they played poker, he sometimes let her win.  
**Once or twice she couldn't even tell how he'd done it. She hit him for it anyway. If he wanted to be "gallant", he could go and win her money back from someone else!

**5. His genin days remind her of Nawaki.  
**They both wanted to be Hokage. They were both idiots. She loved them both like a good sister should. But when Orochimaru acted like the bastard he was and Jiraiya told him to shut up, for a brief moment she imagined Jiraiya was the one who died and Nawaki was talking to a genius like only an idiot would. Somehow she found this worse, because at least Nawaki died with his dreams intact. Jiraiya's dreams had died long before. She helped with that, and that was the first time she ever felt guilty about it.

**6. When she left, he didn't try to stop her.  
**She left Konoha and he let her go without a word. He didn't even say goodbye. When Orochimaru left he nearly killed himself trying to drag the bastard back.

**7. He once said to her, "If you betray the Leaf, I'll kill you."  
**And she believed him. Jiraiya was barely even in Konoha. Why did he care so much about that stupid village anyway?

**8. She's still in love with Dan.  
**When he died it broke her heart, and she never quite mended. Dan was kind, always a gentleman, and Jiraiya couldn't compare. _Shouldn't_ compare.

**9. The first book he wrote made her cry.  
**She's never quite lived that one down.

**10. The idiot doesn't realise he's part of the reason she became Hokage.  
**Tsunade would be the first to say that Naruto was _most_ of the reason, but part of her wanted to know what Jiraiya had seen in being the leader of the village. After several years, she still hasn't worked it out, but she's pretty sure the paperwork would have killed him.

**11. He's selfish.  
**During the war, she sustained some serious injuries and ended up in hospital for a few months. A week after she was released, Jiraiya came told her about the Sozou Saisei. He explained what it did, what it cost her, and exactly why he wanted her to have it. He made her invincible. A month later Dan died, and she told him bitterly that it still wasn't enough. He said, "You're still alive, aren't you?"

**12. Even after she left Konoha, she couldn't get rid of him.  
**A month after the Kyuubi attacked Konoha, he found her and told her what had really happened. She was torn between irritation and sadness - she didn't want to care, but Jiraiya just looked so damn _lost_ that she had a few drinks with him anyway. He turned up once or twice in the intervening years, and to this day she really does wonder if it was only luck.

**13. He stopped asking her out.  
**Tsunade doesn't date men who give up.

**14. His student makes her feel guilty.  
**Naruto is a ninja. This doesn't stop him from being ridiculously optimistic, loud, idiotic _or_ idealistic. Tsunade loves him for it. She wonders if Jiraiya could have stayed the same way if somebody had actually believed in him.

**15. He would have made a better Hokage than her.  
**Every time the elders glare at her disapprovingly, Tsunade only becomes more convinced she is not suited for politics. She is too stubborn; too used to having people obey her every order. Jiraiya has been spending the last decade or more squeezing information out of people who don't want to let go of it. He's given himself the best training anyone can get for Hokage, and he's so jaded he doesn't even realise it.

**16. He means it when he calls her "Tsunade-hime".  
**When most people say it, they do so because they respect the Senju name. When a few say it, they do so because they think she is not living up to that name. Jiraiya does it because she's Tsunade, and he really believes that it's true. That scares her sometimes.

**17. She missed him.  
**Three years training Naruto away from the village seemed like a good idea, but even though he'd been outside the village a lot, Tsunade had gotten used to his scattered reports and sharing some sake. It was a very strange thing, to realise she actually wanted him back. She decided she didn't like it.

**18. He never did stop being a pervert.  
**Only now she finds it funny, and he's doing so many important things she can't even put him in hospital for a week for making her immune.

**19. The last man she loved died in her arms.  
**And she still can't quite bring herself to believe it won't happen again. Tsunade decided she couldn't risk that, so he was going to stay her old teammate and closest friend. After everything she'd lost, she didn't want to lose Jiraiya that easily.

**20. Jiraiya died anyway.  
**And it _hurt_, damn it.

* * *

A/N: Just an idea I had playing around in my head. If there's something you disagree with here, it's probably down to alternate character interpretation. I'd love to hear any and all thoughts, criticisms especially welcomed, so reviews would have love. My first venture into Naruto fanfiction, so don't hate on me too much.

Update 13th Aug 09: Changed the title and made some minor changes to grammar. If you catch grammar or spelling errors, please try to be specific!


	2. Tenzou & the Shodai

**II: Seedlings Die in the Shade of Great Trees**

Tenzou has always had an irrational hatred of the Shodai Hokage.

* * *

**1. Senju Hashirama was the most powerful shinobi of his time.  
**In an attempt to recreate that power, 59 children died.

**2. Tenzou never had a childhood.  
**From the moment it became clear he'd somehow been "gifted" with the Mokuton, he was put into ANBU. Of course, at that point he wasn't old enough to be an active member, but he was trained with the understanding that he would be one day. He counts himself lucky that he was on a squad under Kakashi, because nobody else would have put up with the fact he didn't want to be there.

**3. He is living in a shadow.  
**Similar to the way in which Kakashi is often compared to his father, Tenzou is unceasingly compared to the Shodai. The only difference is that Kakashi has surpassed his father. Tenzou will _never_ be better than Hashirama, and he is reminded of this often.

**4. No one will hear a word against the Shodai.  
**It's like they expect him to be _happy_ in his shadow.

**5. He will always be a disappointment.  
**He'd hoped that even if he wasn't the Shodai, people would be happy with him anyway one day. The older he gets, the more he starts to think this will never happen.

**6. Senju Hashirama was a hero.  
**Tenzou is ANBU, and ANBU are the shadows.

**7. The Shodai didn't kill Uchiha Madara.  
**He left _that_ job to Naruto.

**8. Mokuton is supposed to be a gift.  
**For him, it's really just another tool. Perhaps that's because Mokuton is all he's ever used for.

**9. Senju Hashirama is a name that everyone knows.  
**Tenzou knows this isn't really the Shodai's fault - but he can count the number of people who acknowledge his name on one hand, and three of those people don't know his _real_ name. So yes, he is a little bitter.

**10. Danzo wanted the Mokuton.  
**The Hokage put his foot down. Danzo didn't get it. Years later, when Tenzou meets Sai, he really starts being grateful for that decision. As bad as his life has been so far, with Danzo's interference it would have been much, much worse. And all because of this stupid _power._

**11. Hashirama is dead.  
**That really _isn't_ his fault, but Tenzou resents it nonetheless. Maybe if he wasn't, people wouldn't expect so much out of him...

**12. He knows he's being stupid.  
**And he doesn't care. He keeps his hate to himself. It doesn't hurt anyone, and so long as Tenzou hates that Senju he doesn't hate himself for being the only one to survive.

**13. The Shodai and his brother taught a group of genin.  
**Two of those students are the current village elders. They sigh and tut every time they see him. The final student was one of the best men Tenzou knew, but he made one huge mistake and others suffered for it.

**14. The Sandaime couldn't stop Orochimaru.  
**No matter what else the old man did for him, Tenzou can't quite forgive him for not recognising Orochimaru's ambitions. (And a voice at the back of his head wonders if the old man could have stopped the experiment ever happening if he had only been _taught better_.)

**15. The Shodai had a family.  
**Tenzou's closest living relative is technically Tsunade. She rarely speaks to him, and he doesn't blame her.

**16. He shares more genes with Hashirama than he does with his own parents.  
**His DNA is so screwed up, in fact, that the medics can't even tell who his parents _are._ Most of the 60 children in the experiment were orphans, but Tenzou made it a point to meet the parents of the ones who weren't. He tells himself that he was one of the orphans. That's better than thinking his parents had no idea who he was.

**17. Mokuton isn't his.  
**Tenzou honestly loves the way the wood responds to his chakra, but then he remembers that Hashirama did it better, and the feeling always sours.

**18. Kakashi-sempai always calls the Sharingan eye "Obito's".  
**Tenzou wonders what this makes him, since 80% of his DNA _is_ the Shodai.

**19. He's not good enough.  
**He realised this when Naruto went four-tails on the bridge and wounded Sakura before he could contain the Kyuubi. The village wants the Shodai, but Tenzou isn't the Shodai.

**20. The Shodai saved the whole village.  
**As Tenzou tries to stop the blood pouring from Kakashi's chest, he reflects bitterly that he can't even save his _friend._

* * *

**A/N:** I don't think this is really justified by canon, but... there you are. It wouldn't leave my head. I'm sorry. T_T;

EDIT 14th July '11 - changed 'Shodaime' to 'Shodai', after being aware of the error for approximately forever.


	3. Kakashi & Obito

**III: A Better Future**

Kakashi honestly thinks he should have died in Obito's place.

* * *

**1. He's completely addicted to Icha Icha.  
**They're awful, but they're so _good._

**2. He tells a lie every time he's late.  
**Obito was always late, but even back then Kakashi knew his excuses were at least _true._

**3. He couldn't save Rin.  
**He only had the Sharingan in one eye. It was his other eye which saw that shinobi at the fringe of his vision. Obito would have had Sharingan in both eyes. He would have seen them in time to intervene.

**4. "Don't be stupid! That's impossible!"  
**That was what Kakashi said when Sensei told him he was going to summon the Shinigami and save Konoha from Kyuubi. Incidentally, they were the last words Kakashi ever said to his hero. Maybe Obito would have just told him that.

**5. Obito would have stayed strong.  
**Every time Kakashi lost another member of his team, it was a struggle to keep himself together. Obito would have cried enough to create a small lake, but for all those tears he wouldn't have fallen apart.

**6. Obito was a better person than him.  
**The apathetic face Kakashi presents to most of the world isn't a bluff. A lot of the time, he just can't bring himself to care.

**7. He failed Sensei.  
**The only thing he could think when he found out Sensei was Naruto's father was: "I wish I'd known sooner." If he'd known, he would have looked after Naruto when he really needed it... but he shouldn't have _had_ to know. Obito wouldn't have had to know that to help a lonely child who barely knew what care was.

**8. He never believed in Naruto.  
**It took until he found out the Yondaime was Naruto's father (how did he not _see_ that?) for him to seriously think Naruto could become Hokage. Obito wouldn't have just believed it from the beginning; he would have helped him _get_ there.

**9. Obito might have stopped the Uchiha Massacre.  
**Kakashi, of course, would have had no hope. But Obito was so different to any other Uchiha that had ever existed. Kakashi was pretty sure Obito could have turned Itachi from the dark path he chose. He doubted anybody else would have agreed with him, but they didn't know Obito.

**10. Sasuke left his teammates behind.  
**Obito taught him that your friends were the most important things in the world. If he couldn't teach that to his students, then what kind of sensei was he?

**11. He really isn't a genius.  
**It took him until Sasuke's defection to realise it, when he heard that Sasuke had shoved a _Chidori_ through Naruto's chest. One of the medics asked why the hell a genin knew an assassination jutsu. Kakashi wondered why the hell he hadn't put his "brilliant mind" to use and come up with another way for Sasuke to beat Gaara. Something that he couldn't use on his best friend.

**12. He failed Naruto.  
**When Naruto left the academy, his basic skills were practically nonexistent. Kakashi assumed he would pick them up from observation. When it came to the chuunin exams, they were _still_ practically nonexistent. Of course they were.

**13. He failed Sakura.  
**Sakura had the potential to be one of the strongest kunoichi Konoha had ever produced. Kakashi saw that when Sakura trained with the Godaime. Tsunade was teaching her things he couldn't teach, but there were things she could have learned from him.

**14. He couldn't save Sasuke.  
**He saw what was happening too late to stop it. Sasuke went to Orochimaru. Sasuke was haunted by his past just like he had been, but Kakashi _still_ couldn't help him. Maybe it was because he was saved by somebody else.

**15. Naruto wants to bring peace.  
**Kakashi can't bring peace. He only knows how to kill things.

**16. Most of the continent knows his name.  
**Only a few know Obito's. He can't help but think those numbers should be reversed.

**17. Obito could have helped Sasuke.  
**Kakashi had been a shinobi for almost as long as he could remember, but Sasuke didn't need a shinobi. He needed someone who was normal. Kakashi wasn't normal, not by a long shot.

**18. His "genius" is useless.  
**His team kept dying until he was the only one left. He never saw the Suna/Oto invasion coming, and he sent Naruto to fight something that would have killed anyone else (and almost killed Sakura). He was a worthless sensei. His genin left him for other teachers (or just plain left). For all Kakashi's genius, Obito could have done better.

**19. Obito would make the most of being alive.  
**Even Kakashi knows that his obsession with long-dead friends isn't a good sign, but he doesn't know how to enjoy life properly anymore. (Obito would _never_ have forgotten.)

**20. He's pretty sure he'll go mad one of these days.  
**But that's what happens when you kill your first man at five years old.

* * *

**A/N: **I know I know, more Kakashi and Obito angst! It happens. The next one won't be angsty, I promise. (Also, yes, I really DO think Kakashi pictures Obito something like this. He's kind of... obsessed.)

Oh, and a big thank you and a hug to all my reviewers and people who've favourite'd this so far. I wasn't expecting such a positive response. :D

**Update: **Thozmp Corris has written a short story called 'About a Log' based on #8 of this chapter, which can be found in my favourites. Check it out if you're interested!


	4. Choji & Shikamaru

**IV: A Friendship Greater than the Last Chip**

Choji believes that he's lucky to be Shikamaru's friend.

* * *

**1. He has never called him fat.  
**Even Ino, who he has known for almost as long, has used "that word" a few times. Shikamaru has never so much as implied it.

**2. Team 10 passed because of Shikamaru.  
**If it weren't for him, Choji wouldn't have become a genin.

**3. He graduated because of Shikamaru.  
**If it weren't for him, Choji wouldn't even have got out of the _academy._

**4. He appreciates the simple things in life.  
**Friendship and food. That's all he needs to be happy. Shikamaru provides the most important half of that.

**5. Choji has friends.  
**He doesn't think he would ever have been able to take that step if Shikamaru hadn't stepped first.

**6. Shikamaru allows him to be strong.  
**Choji knows that he isn't the smartest of people. He has power, but he's never really sure how to use it. Shikamaru knows not only how to use it, but how to use it _well._

**7. Shikamaru is destined for greatness.  
**Choji is not, but he is happy to watch his best friend succeed, confident in the knowledge that he will stay his best friend no matter how great he becomes.

**8. He's never felt unwanted.  
**Not since becoming Shikamaru's friend, anyway. _Unneeded,_ yes. Unwanted... never.

**9. He knows the real Shikamaru.  
**Choji is the only person who knows the side of Shika that doubts and fears nothing more than failure, because failure means he let his friends die, and every time it happens he blames himself because he should have _done better._

**10. He is the one Shikamaru relies on.  
**When Shika shows his real face, Choji is the one who is there to remind him why he can't give up. Genius or not, he is human, and Shikamaru needs a rock. Choji is happy to be the rock to save the drowning man.

**11. He's strong because of him.  
**Choji is never hit hard by events, because as long as he has his friends he has to be strong for them, so he won't _let_ himself falter. Shikamaru needs him, so he has to be dependable, and if that means everyone else can rely on him then all the better.

**12. He stopped doubting himself.  
**Because Shikamaru never doubted him.

**13. Shikamaru could be Hokage.  
**That he thinks Naruto is better suited for the position is the main reason Choji believes so strongly in Naruto. His best friend is never wrong, so Naruto _will_ be Hokage, and if Shika thinks he wouldn't be as good as Naruto, he will be a damn fine one too.

**14. He feels like he has to prove himself.  
**He doesn't have to prove himself to Shikamaru.

**15. He protects people.  
**Choji wouldn't be a ninja without his best friend, and if he wasn't ninja, then he couldn't protect the people who are precious to him. They are what Choji lives for, and he can't think of a worse existence than being unable to protect them.

**16. Shikamaru rarely fails.  
**Maybe it's a little selfish, but sometimes Choji is just glad somebody so good will help him protect his friends (because they're Shikamaru's friends too, of course).

**17. He was Choji's first real friend.  
**Of all the people who could have made that gesture, lazy-bones Shikamaru was the one who did so. He's not sure if he should feel proud or grateful about this, so he settles for both at once.

**18. He would happily give him the last bite.  
**Choji has never offered, however, because he knows that Shikamaru wouldn't take it from him. Still, it is an honour Choji will never extend to anyone else (except Naruto, _maybe,_ just _once,_ when he finally becomes Hokage).

**19. His best friend is a true genius.  
**The fact that a genius has such faith in him is what allows Choji to fight.

**20. Shikamaru will climb high.  
**But he will stop to pull Choji with him, because that's the kind of person Shika is.

* * *

**A/N:** Er, I think this got a little repetitive at times, but that's what happens when you decide to focus on a minor character. Still, it could have been worse - I could have picked Tenten...

Anyway, I promised it wouldn't be an angtsy piece, and lo, it is not angsty! I think Choji is one of the few 100% honest-to-god, genuine _nice_ guys in Naruto, without any sort of psychological damage dragging him down. In fact, I think he's remarkably _normal _for a ninja. That may be why I think this one is a little on the boring side. Sigh. I just thought the friendship between these two deserved a bit more fic. No, really, I have seen fics out there where Shikamaru is the main focus and Choji is barely mentioned. Friendship does not work that way, guys!

And now I'm rambling. See what you've done! *shakes fist*


	5. Sasuke & Orochimaru

**V: He Steals Genius**

Sasuke holds nothing but contempt for Orochimaru.

* * *

**1. Sasuke is a genius.  
**Orochimaru was called a genius, but if that is the case then the rest of Konoha is even worse than he thought they were.

**2. He is terrified of so many things.  
**Of death; of failure; of realising just how low he has sunk. Terror is beneath an Uchiha, running from it even more so.

**3. The "Sound Four" lost to Konoha genin.  
**And they were supposed to be Orochimaru's strongest subordinates? No wonder he was willing to sacrifice them all to get Sasuke back to his hideout.

**4. His subordinates are weak.  
**With the exception of Kabuto, who is above average by non-Uchiha standards, Orochimaru is simply incapable of recognising strength. He has prisoners who could be useful serving him. So why does he keep them behind bars?

**5. Orochimaru has no originality.  
**His signature techniques are in fact copied and adapted from snakes. The curse seal was created by studying Juugo's transformation, and has yet to live up to the original. And the resurrection technique he used in Konoha? Stolen from Akatsuki. His only act worth noting, so far as Sasuke is concerned, is surviving this long _without_ the Sharingan.

**6. He sought Kusanagi.  
**Sasuke scoffs at the idea of hunting a sword to obtain more power. No matter how legendary it is or how many abilities it has, the most it can do is give Orochimaru another technique to use. Like jutsu, a sword is only as good as the shinobi who wields it.

**7. He fears death.  
**Sasuke does not fear death, only avoids it. He has to avenge his clan before he can die. Orochimaru is _terrified_ of death, and in his attempts to defeat it he has fallen farther than anyone has ever done before.

**8. He is less than human.  
**Orochimaru has inhabited so many bodies and performed so many experiments that Sasuke isn't sure if there's anything of his original self left.

**9. Konoha chose the Yondaime over him.  
**From what Sasuke has seen, this was not an unwise decision.

**10. Orochimaru couldn't kill his friend.  
**Yes, Sasuke has heard of that fight. _He_ could have killed _Naruto_. He simply chose not to. Orochimaru _couldn't_ kill Jiraiya. That is an important distinction to make.

**11. He is destined to fail.  
**Konoha's weaknesses and failures aside, Orochimaru has _never,_ and will never, succeed against them. Orochimaru is more willing to share power, but that does not mean Konoha lacks power.

**12. Orochimaru doesn't know this yet.  
**That just makes Sasuke shake his head and sigh.

**13. Sharingan belongs to the Uchiha.  
**No matter how many of their bodies he claims, Orochimaru will never be an Uchiha. Being an Uchiha is more than genetics; it is superiority in its highest form. That Orochimaru thinks he is worthy enough to have the Sharingan is simply laughable.

**14. Sasuke will be the one to kill him.  
**He will admit that he has probably considered this, but Orochimaru is conceited. Sasuke can't believe that his teacher has prepared for it.

**15. He couldn't beat Itachi.  
**He has not said as much, but Sasuke has worked it out from a thousand tiny twitches and frowns and narrowed eyes. Orochimaru is only a stepping stone, but it irks Sasuke that he can claim to be so powerful when the facts state otherwise.

**16. Itachi must die.  
**Sasuke never truly intended to give his body to Orochimaru, and he has seen nothing that would convince him to do otherwise. Not only would Orochimaru never be able to kill Itachi, he would do his level best to _avoid_ him.

**17. Sasuke is a substitute for his brother.  
**That makes him laugh, because even though Sasuke hates his brother with all his soul, he still recognises that he deserves the title 'genius of geniuses'. (This will not stop Sasuke from killing him, but he has never pretended it will be easy.)

**18. Orochimaru is a fool.  
**He wants the Sharingan so he can learn every jutsu in the world - does it never occur to him that no matter how many lifetimes he lives, that will never happen? The Sharingan allows you to copy techniques, within reason. There are some techniques it can't copy, but more importantly, _it can't see the future._ New techniques are constantly being invented - Orochimaru would have to live forever to learn them all, and nobody can achieve that.

**19. He didn't surpass his teacher.  
**Even with the Nidaime and Shodaime on his side, that fight was difficult for him. Surpassing your teacher is the first mark of strength. Sasuke knows he is better than Orochimaru, even if he still has things to learn.

**20. He couldn't beat Naruto.  
**And _that_ is simply pathetic.

* * *

**A/N: **Another one! I'm trying to get quite a few of these done before NaNoWriMo starts on November 1st (if you don't know what NaNoWriMo is, do a google search and/or check my profile. I promise it's not a waste of your time). Actually, I'd been working on this one for a while, I was just struggling to finish it. But recently inspiration struck again, and all was well! Now, I don't particularly like Sasuke, but I've tried to be true to his character here. He _is_ arrogant, and he _does_ believe in Uchiha superiority. But he isn't an idiot. ...Mostly. :P

Also, there are things here Sasuke shouldn't really know and Orochimaru would never tell him. My explanation for this is: Kabuto got drunk one night... (In all seriousness, I was reaching just a little for this one. Sorries.)

Obviously, this is set pre-Itachi revelations.


	6. Ino & Sakura

**VI: Follow My Leader**

Sometimes, Ino wishes she had never befriended Sakura.

* * *

**1. People barely notice Sakura's forehead anymore.  
**Why, then, does her father keep calling her "Ino-pig" and patting her head in the most condescending way possible? How come Sakura doesn't get this treatment? That's totally unfair!

**2. It was nice having someone look up to her so much.  
**She wouldn't miss that if she'd never had it in the first place!

**3. She taught Sakura to stand up for herself.  
**Ino doesn't (really) regret that, but she _does_ wish that she had done it differently. She really missed Sakura's friendship in those years.

**4. Sakura never seemed to miss her.  
**Clearly, she taught her independence a little _too_ well.

**5. Shikamaru and Choji are useless.  
**Well, not entirely, but they're _guys_ and there are some things you just don't talk about with guys. Sure, she could rant about her hair and make-up and boys to any old girl, but now it just _has_ to be Sakura. Ino's not sure why, because Sakura barely listens anyway, but she'd just feel stupid saying those sorts of things to anyone else.

**6. She got put on a team with Sasuke.  
**They can tell her about the Ino-Shika-Cho synergy until they're blue in the face, but at the end of the day _Sakura_ was the one who got to spend most of her waking moments with Sasuke. That just _bugs_ her.

**7. There aren't many girls who regard her as an equal.  
**Ino isn't quite sure whether she's insulted or relieved that Sakura takes this fact for granted.

**8. Ino doesn't have many friends.  
**Even though she acts like the most popular girl in Konoha - in some ways, she supposes she is - Ino counts a surprisingly low number of people as friends. Choji and Shikamaru, of course, and the rest of the teams even if she doesn't see most of them very often and some of them (Shino) are kinda creepy. Sakura, however, is the closest friend she has. Ino can't afford to lose her.

**9. They're due for another falling out.  
**She can just tell. She doesn't want to lose her best friend for a few more years, but they seem to be heading to _some_ kind of argument. Why can't they just get along perfectly, like normal best friends?

**10. When Sasuke left, Sakura almost fell apart.  
**Ino had to keep herself together, because Sakura needed _somebody's_ shoulder to cry on. She couldn't spend time worrying about her teammates, or about Sasuke, or about what the hell Sakura was going to do if neither of her teammates came back.

**11. Ino didn't really mind.  
**She knows that if their roles were reversed, Sakura would do all those things for her in a heartbeat. That's what it means to be best friends, even if they pretend they aren't sometimes.

**12. She still doesn't know how Naruto feels about her.  
**Seriously. Could she be any more oblivious? (Unless she was Naruto regarding Hinata, but that got resolved recently anyway. Sort of.)

**13. Ino knows what a kunoichi is supposed to be.  
**Sakura is almost the exact opposite of that, and yet she's still so _good._ Why do they teach those stupid rules if nobody even follows them?

**14. Sakura is stronger than her.  
**Ino knows that they both have their separate roles, but sometimes she feels like no matter what she does, she'll never catch up to her friend. Sakura has grown so much. _She_ feels like the one who needs help now, and she doesn't want that.

**15. She doesn't want to lose her.  
**The stronger Sakura gets, the more danger she's in, and the more Ino worries about her.

**16. They might not bring Sasuke back alive.  
**Ino isn't sure exactly how Sakura will take this, but she knows it won't turn out well. She keeps kicking herself, because if it weren't for her Sakura would never have fallen for him in the first place.

**17. She still feels protective of her.  
**She's not supposed to want to take _those_ missions just so her best friend will never have to, but she is seriously thinking about it.

**18. She's the apprentice of the greatest medic-nin yet.  
**Even though she knows he was beyond saving, part of Ino's mind wonders if Sakura could have kept Asuma-sensei alive.

**19. Sakura can take care of herself.  
**Ino somehow feels worse when she realises she doesn't _have_ to protect Sakura anymore, and if she could read Ino's mind she would be very, very annoyed with her for thinking so.

**20. Now Sakura wants to protect her.  
**And Ino's pride won't let her do it. They are equals, and they're _staying_ that way.

* * *

**A/N:** I should really stop writing these from the POV of a minor character. It got to the point where I was just _making things up_. Although I think this is a fairly plausible characterisation of Ino, actually. I see pride as her greatest failing, but overall she's a good person. She's just a little... image-obsessed, at times. But I see her as a stronger person, emotionally, than Sakura, and more aggressive. (The recent panel where Ino starts crying is totally not canon for me. Or she was crying about, ooh, I dunno, her pet turtle.) Sakura is more empathic and cautious. But really, they can be quite similar. *fails describing personality forever*

I think sometime later I'm going to come back to this and change the order around. Ugh.

Ho hum. Expect another one of these in... ooh, a couple of days maybe? It's about 90% complete right now.


	7. Neji & Hinata

**VII: A Different Kind of Strength**

Neji can't believe he ever saw Hinata as weak.

* * *

**1. He had a better life than her.  
**Neji's father died, and as a branch Hyuuga he is expected to serve the main family. Hinata is the heir, but has been looked down on and treated like trash her whole life. Even he earned the respect of Hiashi. Hinata got the exact opposite of respect. Neji has never heard her complain about this.

**2. Hinata is a ninja.  
**It constantly astonishes him that, despite everything, she can still find the emotional strength for that.

**3. She's stronger than she appears.  
**Now, Neji believes that he is weaker than he appears. He's not sure this is really a bad thing.

**4. She is the reason her team works.  
**Shino and Kiba are polar opposites, and a friendship as odd as that has to have some kind of common ground. Neji understands that they fill an elder brother role he is not altogether suitable for, and he is grateful for it. It's not that he thinks Hinata needs protecting; only that she needs people to believe in her.

**5. She refuses hide her emotions.  
**In a clan that prides self-control above all else, this is perhaps the bravest thing she could have done.

**6. Hinata believed in Naruto before anyone else.  
**He's seen with his own eyes how much Naruto can change people, but it takes a special kind of person to see that without experiencing it.

**7. She is compassionate.  
**To him, strangers are simply strangers. To Hinata, strangers are other people who might need help. He thinks this is what allowed her to believe in a "loser" like Naruto.

**8. Hinata understands people.  
**That is the reason she is so compassionate: because she understands why they are angry, why they are sad, and why, sometimes, they have to fight her. Neji feels like he is still blind in comparison.

**9. Hanabi almost became like him.  
**Hinata showed her how to change where he was incapable. He's glad she did, because Hanabi is too prideful to let anyone else help her.

**10. She believes in family.  
**This sets her apart from most of the Hyuuga already, and sometimes he really wonders how that happened.

**11. Neji couldn't do any of these things.  
**Hinata does it as naturally as breathing.

**12. She loves him like a brother.  
**He thought that this was another sign of weakness; that she was just clinging on to things like "blood" and "family" in the hopes that they would protect her. How wrong he was. She loves him _despite_ everything he has done, not _because_ of it.

**13. She will never use the curse seal.  
**Even when Neji was ready to kill her, he's certain that it never crossed Hinata's mind that she could use the seal to win. Hinata is too kind for that.

**14. Hanabi is gifted.  
**Hinata has never felt jealous of her sister, despite the attention and praise lavished on her. She is genuinely happy for her, and Neji is sure that if she was asked, Hinata would have no objections to Hanabi leading the clan, as long as it would make her sister happy. He doesn't think he would be able to do that.

**15. Hinata hates the Caged Bird Seal as much as he does.  
**If she was the head of the clan, she would do everything she could to get rid of it. If he had been in her position, Neji isn't sure he would have wanted to do the same thing.

**16. She never forgot that he was her cousin.  
**Neji forgot that. Many times.

**17. Hinata would protect him no matter what.  
**At least now he can say the same thing - not because she is a member of the main family, but because she is his cousin, and he chooses to do so.

**18. In some ways, she reminds him of a quieter Naruto.  
**He doesn't mention this because he has a feeling she wouldn't believe him. He continues to think it, all the same.

**19. She made Hiashi confront what he'd done.  
**Hinata proved that she wasn't weak. She did not ask her father to treat her differently - possibly she didn't expect him to. She made him do it, all the same. He apologised to her, because he finally saw what should have been painfully obvious.

**20. Hinata is the complete opposite of weak.  
**Her strength is just different from everyone else's.

* * *

**A/N:** We haven't seen very much of Neji in Shippuuden, and that makes me a sad panda. I don't even fangirl Neji particularly, he's just a really interesting character. If only Kishimoto had explored side characters more, we might have seen something of the Neji-Hina relationship. Alas, it is left to fanfiction, and I find it really difficult to find stories who explore the characters without a) pairing them or b) writing them OOC-ly (not that I particularly dislike the pairing, just... not my cup of tea). Maybe I've just been unlucky.

Oh dear. I'm rambling again. Anyway, I may have another one up for you before the end of the month, or I may not! :D Hope you enjoy this one anyway. I'm quite happy with it.


	8. Shikamaru & Asuma

**VIII: Responsibility**

Shikamaru only hopes he'll be half the teacher Asuma was.

* * *

**1. It's Asuma's child.  
**If he or she isn't at least half as good as their father, then Shikamaru has been doing something wrong.

**2. Asuma put up with him.  
**No matter how troublesome his laziness was at times.

**3. He could calm Konohamaru down.  
**Konohamaru is like Naruto but smaller and with less orange. Shikamaru would dearly like to know this secret.

**4. He put up with those cigarettes long enough to become addicted.  
**That takes genuine commitment_._

**5. Asuma appreciated laziness.  
**Not to the extent that he does, but Shikamaru was still impressed. He was even more impressed later when he realised Asuma had the balance right.

**6. Shikamaru never had any siblings.  
**For a while, he did wonder what it would be like to have an older brother.

**7. He brought the best out of Ino and Choji.  
**Shikamaru has known them for most of his life, and somehow he never even noticed that he could help them be _better._ It was his first taste at motivation. It wasn't as bad as he'd feared.

**8. He depends on genius.  
**Without his intellect, Shikamaru wouldn't be worth much. He's pretty sure that Asuma would have looked out for him anyway.

**9. Asuma had his own kind of genius.  
**But it's not everyday you have to train a troublesome group of kids, so he's not surprised nobody recognised it sooner.

**10. He saved his life.  
**More times than Shikamaru cares to count.

**11. His father told him to shoulder his responsibilities.  
**Asuma helped him to do it.

**12. He felt like family.  
**Now he _knows_ what it's like to have an older brother. That means Asuma's kid is practically his nephew, and another reason why Shika has to look out for them.

**13. Overall, Shikamaru is glad he never had a sibling.  
**He's not sure he wouldn't have thought Asuma was a better one.

**14. It was a month before Asuma told them who his father was.  
**Shikamaru still wonders why he didn't see the resemblance earlier, but he can't deny that it was one of the best ideas Asuma had in those early days. He's glad he got to know Asuma before he discovered he was the Hokage's son. He recognised Asuma's strength, instead of just his father's. He couldn't think of a greater disservice to the man than that.

**15. Choji and Ino would want to teach his kid too.  
**Only they can't, because it's something that he just _has_ to do. But he's not going to let them down again. He promised he wouldn't - he promised everyone that he wouldn't.

**16. He's promised himself that he won't fail again.  
**Asuma never failed any of them; not when it counted. Shikamaru will do the same for Kurenai and her child, and he will look out for Choji and Ino now that Asuma can't. He _will._

**17. Shikamaru never actually enjoyed playing Shogi before.  
**He's honestly surprised to find that he still does. Then again, that's probably what he should have expected.

**18. He taught him that genius doesn't always win.  
**That was the worst lesson he ever learned. It was also the most important.

**19. The next generation is the King.  
**On many levels, it doesn't matter that Kurenai is carrying Asuma's child. Asuma told him who the King was so he could fight for them, and Shika would be downright despicable if he didn't do his damndest to fulfil that obligation.

**20. He wants Asuma to be proud of him.  
**Trying to live up to his teacher will be difficult, but the most important things in life will _never_ be troublesome.

* * *

**A/N:** Oh Asuma I miss you. You were a minor character with barely any screentime until you died, but that beard was damn sexy. Also, poor Shikamaru. Kishi, please explore these kind of relationships before you kill off the characters. It would make it a lot easier for me to write these darned things. Thank you.

Remember kiddies, cigarettes are BAD. Plus, smoking!Asuma is more awesome than you. In all seriousness, your lungs love you. Please be nice to them. (I swear I do not mean any offence to smokers. Really, I love you guys.)

Also... **20 FAVES!** I'm sure it's nothing compared to some other stories on this site, but... I feel so warm and fuzzy and loved! ^-^ To all my reviewers, readers, favouriters and anyone who has me on alert, virtual hugs and cookies. Keep reading and enjoying! You people make fanfiction worthwhile.

And now, I disappear until December! *sneaky ninja exit*


	9. Kakashi & Gai

**IX: Over the Top**

Kakashi can't tell if Gai is the bane of his existence or his closest friend.

* * *

**1. Gai can be very frustrating.  
**It's not often that Kakashi finds himself wanting to beat his head against a wall, except when he's with Gai, which makes it _far too often._

**2. He is constantly reminding him that life goes on.  
**And has been, in fact, since he returned from the mission when Obito died.

**3. The spandex. Kami, the **_**spandex**_**.  
**Kakashi swears he once saw Ibiki shudder at the sight.

**4. He is genuinely funny, possibly unintentionally.  
**Gai never fails to cheer him up, if only because he is being ridiculous. Kakashi tries not to show this because it would spur Gai into heights of ridiculous that he finds too disturbing to contemplate, but he does appreciate being able to smile behind his book and shake his head at whatever crazy thing Gai is doing in penance.

**5. That sparkling smile thing is ever-so-slightly creepy.  
**Kakashi's glad he keeps the Sharingan covered, because he does _not_ want to know how that works.

**6. Being the best is boring.  
**Much as he dislikes most of Gai's stupid challenges, Kakashi does admit that his teenage years would have been a lot less interesting without them.

**7. Does he really have to challenge him **_**that**_** often?  
**Sometimes he finds himself wishing he had failed Team 7, just so he would be out of Konoha more. _With no Gai._ (This fact bears repeating.) Stupid genin teams.

**8. Kakashi's taijutsu has improved a lot.  
**Reading Icha Icha _and_ taunting academy graduates was a lot of fun while it lasted. He probably wouldn't have been able to do that if he hadn't met Gai.

**9. There are now two of them.  
**Gai has a protégé. And his eyebrows are even worse.

**10. Gai achieved something he thought impossible.  
**Kakashi never thought in a million years Lee would be anything other than a failure of a shinobi. He hasn't been more pleasantly surprised in a very long time.

**11. He risks his neck for stupid things.  
**Granted, Kakashi can count on one hand the number of times he's seen Gai in genuine trouble, but he's pretty sure at least a few of those could have been avoided if he wasn't so damn stuck on using only taijutsu.

**12. Kakashi worries about Gai**_**.  
**_He's been worrying about Gai for quite some time (usually, he admits, about his level of sanity). The fact that he keeps worrying about Gai is one of the things that reminds Kakashi he's still _human,_ despite everything he's done and all the people he's killed.

**13. **_**Gai**_** worries about **_**him**_**.  
**Kakashi can't remember the last time that he had somebody worry about him, even if Gai isn't obvious about it. It's _his_ job to worry about people now, not the other way around.

**14. He can fight for others.  
**Originally, Gai tells him, he marked Kakashi out as his rival because he failed to defend his teammates, even though he could have. He's not mad that Gai didn't tell him, because now he understands it's something he had to work out for himself.

**15. He was humiliated. By Gai.  
**It is partly his fault for agreeing to a taijutsu-only sparring match, and the fact that he assumed Gai was a nobody probably did not help matters. Still, however trivial, Kakashi remembers it as the most abject failure of his life. It didn't help that his father died a week later and suddenly he had perfection to live up to (not that _that_ was Gai's fault).

**16. He was there.  
**Whenever Kakashi thinks of the time immediately after his father died, only Gai springs to mind. He didn't realise then how important that was.

**17. His students didn't leave him.  
**Kakashi has genuinely never been jealous of another person before, and he wishes things had stayed that way. Naruto and Sakura are wonderful students - even Sasuke was, in his own tortured way - but... Kakashi can see the Sannin written all over them. They call him sensei, but he rarely feels like it is a title he deserves. Gai has gone past being a teacher; for his team, he is a surrogate father, and Kakashi thinks that a part of him will always resent Gai for that bond.

**18. He taught Kakashi what failure was.  
**He privately theorises that his father cracked because he felt like he'd failed his teammates - the first failure he'd ever had. Kakashi genuinely _did_ fail his teammates, but he knew that there was something after failure... not necessarily something good, but _something_ was more than Obito could ever get and far more than Kakashi deserved.

**19. He **_**still**_** can't decide.  
**He's known Gai for years, and he hasn't _ever_ been able to decide if he's the bane of his existence or his closest friend. This frustrates him immensely, especially when Gai has it all figured out.

**20. But he's beginning to suspect Gai might be both at once.  
**Which, Kakashi supposes, is what he should have settled for in the first place. It's close enough to what Gai means when he says 'eternal rival'.

* * *

**A/N:** So NaNoWriMo didn't go so well. Hey, nevermind, I got one of these things up pretty quickly! I can't promise when the next one of these will be, but I'll try to get it done before the end of the month. However, I can't promise because I have exams in January.

Also, I swear to god this was meant to be humorous. It... didn't quite work out that way. I'm not too sure of quality here overall, but it could be because I haven't written Gai before?


	10. Temari & Kankuro

**X: Us Against Them**

For the longest time, Temari's only loyalty was to Kankuro.

* * *

**1. He was the only blood she recognised.**  
Her father lost that right when her mother died. Gaara lost it the first time he threatened to kill her. At least Gaara got it back.

**2. She had promised.**  
When she was old enough to understand (which was younger than it should have been, thanks to her father), Mother made her promise to protect Kankuro. Temari is not a sentimental woman, but she has never, _ever _broken a promise she made to their mother, and never will.

**3. She's loyal to Suna. But not **_**that**_** loyal.**  
Suna never did much for her, even if the place was home. Kankuro did always love the desert, though, and Suna's unique puppetry jutsu. Temari had already decided that Kankuro came before the village - but if he was loyal to Suna, then she could be too.

**4. Kankuro is her only little brother.**  
Technically, Gaara qualifies as well, but she finds it difficult to see him as a younger sibling . Gaara is powerful enough that he doesn't need her protection, and she knows it. Kankuro probably doesn't either, but she doesn't want to stop.

**5. He depended on her.**  
He wasn't weak, not really. But in the old days, when she was far stronger than he was, she was the only thing standing between him and Gaara... even when they both knew it was futile.

**6. _His _only loyalty was to **_**her.**_  
Really, it was only fair to return the favour.

**7. Temari is the Eldest.**  
However much she appreciates the fact that Kankuro cares (and Gaara too, now), she is still the eldest sibling. She's supposed to look after them, not the other way around.

**8. Gaara didn't always understand the word 'sister'.**  
If it weren't for Kankuro, neither would she. And then what would have happened to the three of them?

**9. Kankuro actually deserved loyalty.**  
Temari was terrified of Gaara. That didn't mean that she didn't see what the other villagers had done to him.

**10. He believed in her.**  
In Suna, it was rare for women to become powerful. They were normally tied to a man before they had a chance to, and under her father the pressure to produce more soldiers was even worse. But Temari fought for the right to have freedom of choice, and clawed her way towards power an inch at a time. Kankuro was very clear what he would do to anybody who interfered with that goal (if she didn't get them first).

**11. He gave Temari something to be powerful for.**  
She won't admit it to anyone - not even him - but Kankuro is the reason she didn't give up.

**12. He can tell when she's gone too far.**  
Neither of them is the calmest of people, and in many ways Kankuro is worse than her - but he has had to hold her back as many times as she has done the same for him.

**13. Most women her age are married.**  
Most of them, in turn, are pregnant. Some of them already have children. The idea fills her with disgust - _why_ in heaven would she want to give up this strength to have _children? _She already has enough on her plate keeping Kankuro in line. Oh, and the factions opposing Gaara. But Kankuro is at least twice as frustrating.

**14. He keeps trying to look after her.**  
To Kankuro's credit, it didn't take her long to beat that ridiculous notion out of him (well, mostly). But she did appreciate the sentiment, and told him so.

**15. Kankuro was never scared of her.**  
Temari was the Kazekage's child. She was expected to be intimidating, even when she still had her baby fat - but no matter what, she could never scare her brother, and after knowing Gaara for most of her life, Temari is glad that she never did.

**16. She could depend on him.**  
She tried not to burden him like that - tried to be an image of perfect strength that he could look up to... but the knowledge that she _could _was always there, and more comforting than actually confiding in him.

**17. The stupid idiot nearly died for her.**  
Kankuro was in a coma for a week. When he woke up she yelled at him for ten minutes straight and then cried for hours and made him promise to never do it again. He was in hospital for the next month, but afterwards she made a special effort to keep an eye on him _and _herself - to make sure he'd never have to do anything like that a second time.

**18. Temari would die for him, if it came to it.**  
Temari would die for Gaara too, of course, but she doubts she will ever have to. Kankuro, though - he's strong, but he still might make mistakes sometimes. She may have to, one day.

**19. She would rather live.**  
This is how she knows her loyalty to Kankuro is different than her loyalty to Suna, or to her friends, or even to Gaara - if she ever gave her life for him her biggest regret would be that she couldn't live to see _him _live. It wouldn't comfort her much to know that he would live without her, because she's his big sister and she _wants_ to be there for him.

**20. They are family.**  
Temari has learned that family is more than just blood. She can't describe exactly what; she just knows that Kankuro fits perfectly.

* * *

**A/N: **After a long hiatus, I am back! Although not, uh, with awesomely regular updates because I am not that motivated. However, exams are over and I don't have to worry about those again for a while, so I should have more time to spend writing! With luck, I will have another one of these before the end of February.

This took me so long because I found it kinda difficult to peg Temari down. I'm still not convinced that I got it right, but I promise myself I was gonna stop procrasinating and get this thing done today, so there you are. It is done. I actually really like all of the sand siblings. I wish we saw more of them in the maaaanga. :(

**Update: **OMG TYPO D: now corrected, thanks Payce99!


	11. Gai & Lee

**XI: Like Father Like Student**

Gai has a son and his name is Lee. There is nothing more to it.

* * *

**1. Gai never had children.  
**He didn't have to, after he had a genin team. In some ways, they all felt like his children. Some more than others.

**2. He does not believe in Fate.  
**It is most Unyouthful to believe that life is predestined, that not even Genius-level Hard Work can bring change. Gai is willing to make an exception this once, though - he doesn't think of Lee as his son because he enjoys teaching him, he enjoys teaching him because he thinks of Lee as his son. For that to be coincidence means that in another life he could have missed it, and that is a very troubling thought.

**3. Lee's family **_**is **_**his team.  
**Like so many before them, Team Gai has become each others' second family - except to those who have no other. Gai is too old to be Lee's brother and too close to be his uncle, so he must be his father. That is simple logic.

**4. They share a deep connection.  
**He and Lee inspire Youthfulness in each other! If that is not a sign, then Gai doesn't know what is.

**5. He has gone beyond what a sensei should.  
**Some of the more astute jounin sometimes ask him about this, but he will just lecture them about the Power of Youth until their eyes glaze over - it is not only a life philosophy, it is a useful way of avoiding Unyouthful questions. It is none of their business to ask, after all.

**6. Although, technically, it **_**is **_**their business.  
**It's a simple but usually effective method of protecting the genin: jounin apart from their sensei will monitor their progress, as a way of disentangling genin from abusive or otherwise dangerous situations before it goes too far. Gai does not value the opinions of the other jounin when it comes to Lee, though. Nobody knows better than a father.

**7. A father always makes the right decisions.  
**He hasn't made the wrong decision with Lee. Not once.

**8. He worries, like any father.  
**It is a good job Gai has such Youthful students to inspire him, because he's sure he would have gone grey by now otherwise...

**9. Gai worries about Lee all the time.  
**He worries that one day Lee's lack of jutsu will prove his undoing, and he can't imagine what he would do if, one day, it happened.

**10. But at the same time, he doesn't.  
**Because he has a father's estimation of his capabilities, and not a sensei's. A sensei can see potential and current skill, but only a father could be so certain that Lee will always pull through.

**11. Lee has never tried to find his biological parents.  
**Gai has. He is glad Lee's "father" was already dead by that point. It would have been his first kill that was not in self-defence or for a mission. And that would be _most _Unyouthful.

**12. Lee doesn't remember the abuse.  
**This is good. It will be like he had never known it - because Gai would die before he let anybody hurt Lee like that again. But it proves that Gai _is _his true father, whatever genetics say, because no father could _ever _let that happen to his son.

**13. He has taught him more about Youth than Gai ever taught himself.  
**But every father learns something from their child, don't they?

**14. He is the best kind of father.  
**All fathers think that, he supposes. But Gai truly believes that he is.

**15. Rock Lee has never been a failure.  
**Gai, however, is the only one who seems to believe that - even Neji and Tenten, in the Full Bloom of Youthfulness though they are, think that only Gai's training saved Lee from this. Only a father could have that kind of biased perception (although that's not to say he thinks he is wrong).

**16. As a father, it is his job to be a role model.  
**It is for this reason and this reason only that Gai avoids using jutsu whenever he can.

**17. Gai's dream is to see him succeed.  
**Because it should be every father's dream to see their son achieve his dreams, shouldn't it?

**18. Lee is going to be better than him.  
**But he's going to be very similar, too... and they do say "like father like son."

**19. Lee called him "Father".  
**It was the first time he had ever said it aloud, but nobody looked surprised. And if that is not confirmation enough, nothing is.

**20. Gai doesn't mind if others disagree, though.  
**It is a poor show of their Youthfulness, but it doesn't matter - he and Lee know, and that is enough.

* * *

**A/N: **The only possible excuse I have for how late this is is that Gai is deceptively difficult to write. (I still don't think I really nailed him, but I was about ready for ragequit so... this will have to do.) I will try my best to get the next one up a lot quicker, but again, I really can't promise anything!

That said, enjoy!


	12. Kiba & Shino

**XII: Exoskeleton**

Kiba doesn't really get why Shino's so glad to be his best friend.

* * *

**1. At first, Shino was weirdly uncomfortable around him.  
**Though... actually, the Inuzuka don't really care about the whole 'personal space' thing - that might've been it. Kiba's willing to admit that the headlock might not have been the best way to settle their first argument (though he'd just meant it in a friendly way).

**2. He'd never seemed lonely in the academy.  
**Granted, Kiba's memory has never been great and that feels like centuries ago, but he can't ever remember a time when Shino looked down - he seemed just fine being alone.

**3. Kiba's probably pretty annoying, sometimes.  
**He swears that he never means to be annoying (except when he does), but he suspects he gets on Shino's nerves more often than not. He definitely _used_ to, but Shino has stopped giving him that 'frown over the sunglasses' glare-thing that he does. Eh, maybe he just got used to it?

**4. The Inuzuka aren't really Shino's style.  
**But he seems to really enjoy it when Team 8 visits, and he never complains about how he's treated (like one of the family), which is just run-of-the-mill for Inuzuka but a _bit _different than the Aburame, Kiba's sure... he might just trying to be polite?

**5. Shino is a lot deeper than he first appears.  
**And when Kiba says deep, he _means _it - he gets philosophical and everything! Well, sometimes. Most of the time he just goes all geeky over some insect. But Shino has, like, ten different kinds of geek. (It's the funniest thing ever to see him go from one to the other, but that's by the by.)

**6. Kiba isn't known for his intellect.  
**He'd be embarrassed to admit it, but some of the things Shino says go straight over his head. Kiba would've thought that, y'know, he'd enjoy spending time with more bookish people? Even if he doesn't seem to get tired of explaining things to him.

**7. He has a feeling the Aburame disapprove.  
**It's not that he doesn't _approve _of his friend's dress style (it did unnerve him at first, but that's the point!), he just kinda thinks the rest of Shino's clan won't like the whole 'going against the grain' thing that Kiba seems to have drilled into him. (Even if he isn't sure _how_ he did it.)

**8. Shino has said he doesn't care if they do.  
**It's just not like Shino to go completely against authority figures like that - that's normally _his_ job.

**9. Kiba is kind of a dumbass.  
**Even _he _has to admit it sometimes. And okay, Shino should so not be Team 8's leader because he's too damn quiet, but he is a lot more observant than him. And better at all that typical ninja stuff. And... well, he just tends to be smarter. They're like exact opposites.

**10. Everyone else thinks they're the weirdest friendship around.  
**Kiba knows that there _must _be a stranger friendship than theirs; he just... hasn't found it yet. (Sasuke and Naruto don't count, 'cause _that _is in a whole other league of messed-up friendships.)

**11. Personally, he doesn't find it **_**that **_**weird - but still pretty weird.  
**He's an Inuzuka, after all. Sure he was brought up in it, but the close friendship an Inuzuka has with their dog must look really crazy from the outside. But it's like his friendship with Shino: it makes sense when you're in it. Still...

**12. If they'd met on their own, Shino would have hated him.  
**It's only because they had Hinata and Kurenai-sensei to mediate they hadn't immediately fought, he figures. It probably would've been his fault. Kiba won't make excuses for who he is, but he's kinda glad he didn't do the confrontational thing with Shino right away. It'd suck to miss out on his friendship, 'cause he's a cool guy.

**13. They **_**are**_** an awesome team.  
**Really, their teamwork is some of the best in Konoha (err, counting Hinata too, of course). That's gotta come from their friendship, right? On dark days, Kiba wonders if _that's _why Shino prizes their bond so highly: it helps get the mission done.

**14. Shino's not a complete bastard, though.  
**And Kiba's pretty sure he _couldn't _be friends with somebody like that, or Shino couldn't make friends if he was like that. So... that couldn't be it.

**15. It's not like he doesn't have other friends.  
**Hinata, for one, and Kurenai-sensei, who Shino can talk to as basically an equal whilst Kiba still gets treated like a kid. He gets on with Shikamaru and Neji as well, and Tenten (which Kiba's kinda jealous of, 'cause she's pretty hot) and, surprisingly, _Choji_. And Kiba can see why he'd prefer their company. Except maybe Neji, who he thinks _still _has a stick up his ass.

**16. How did he meet those guys, anyway?  
**Oh, wait a minute, Kiba introduced him. Hey, that might be the reason!

**17. But that doesn't seem right either.  
**If Shino really did prefer their company, he would've ditched him by this point. Which would be an assholeish thing to do, and... not like Shino at all. Anyway, he _doesn't _prefer their company. He's said as much several times.

**18. He and Shino don't have that much in common.  
**Kiba doesn't _mind _if Shino starts talking about insects, and similarly, Shino _doesn't mind _when Kiba starts talking about... whatever random shit he talks about (usually sparring, girls, or booze - hey, he's a simple man). But it just makes Kiba wonder what he finds so damn _interesting. _

**19. Kiba gets so frustrated with all this reasoning that he just asks.  
**Shino gives him an odd look and tells Kiba that he was his first real friend; that he enjoys his company and finds him entertaining; that he could be himself around him; that he feels like he can tell Kiba anything and it won't matter; and a bunch of other stuff that Kiba thought of already. Y'know, the normal best friend stuff.

**20. Which is the **_**first**_** thing Kiba thought of.  
**He's going to have to have words with Kurenai-sensei about looking underneath the underneath, and how it isn't applicable all the time and please don't teach your kid that it is, dammit! (Because now Shino's giving him the raised eyebrows expression that means he's after an explanation, and Kiba is going to look like an idiot and a bit of a bastard but he's going to tell him anyway - because they _are _best friends, and Shino will understand.)

* * *

**A/N: **I think this is one of my longer ones, which is... odd considering the characters? Anyway, I really like the friendship between these two and the dynamic they have. Also, I fangirl both of them. That's probably why this got done so fast, hehe. This one doesn't follow the list formula quite as strictly as the others, I think, but hey - it's Kiba we're talking about here!

#15 is my apology to Tenten. Sorry, girl, but you don't have enough personality! ...So you get a cameo as one of Shino's friends. (Also, I like to imagine that a Choji-Shino friendship would start with butterflies.)

I can promise another one of these up in a couple of days (I had a really productive night) but can't promise anything after that. I will try to use that time to finish the next one, though. :3


	13. Asuma & the Sandaime

**XIII: Lost in Translation**

Asuma wishes he'd tried to understand his father sooner.

* * *

**1. "I'm proud to be your father."  
**Asuma hasn't had a chance to hear that since he became a chuunin at 14. For too long he did not want to hear it, and when he did, he had no right to it.

**2. He doesn't like making mistakes.  
**He likes admitting to them even less. But that isn't a good thing, not in a shinobi, and not when it can cause that kind of rift with your father.

**3. Asuma never accepted the responsibilities his father had.  
**He always felt like Dad was more interested in the welfare of the village than in that of his sons - he never accepted that the title of Hokage comes with responsibilities that _must_ be upheld, just like the title "Honoured Son". But then again, Asuma never understood that, either.

**4. Dad was doing his best.  
**He kinda understands, now that he has his team and Kurenai and the baby's almost due. He knows how difficult it is to be a jounin and have all that extra responsibility. What the hell must it have been like for the Hokage?

**5. Asuma never gave him a chance.  
**He was too stubborn, too young, to listen to his father. And then he was too prideful, too embarrassed, when he came back.

**6. His father took the time to understand **_**him.  
**_Even if Asuma was too blind to accept it. At the very least, it was only courtesy that he attempt the same. But he never did, not when it mattered.

**7. It wasn't Dad's fault that Hiroshi died.  
**And Asuma shouldn't have blamed him for it. Dad encouraged his brother's dream - but he never forced him to do anything. It was Hiroshi's choice, and he wouldn't have wanted it any differently.

**8. Hiroshi would've disapproved of those kind of thoughts, anyway.  
**"I know you don't agree with Dad," he always wrote in his letters, "But I can't think of a person I'd rather die for than someone precious to me."

**9. He didn't want to be known as the Hokage's son.  
**Looking back, Asuma can only scratch his head and ask himself, "Why?"

**10. He can only assume it was because of his foolish pride.  
**If he was known as the Hokage's son, then he'd always be a disappointment - or so he thought. It was a long, long time before Asuma that the only people who mattered didn't care about things like that.

**11. By then, though, he was a disappointment for a different reason.  
**Asuma didn't always believe in the Will of Fire. It was stupid, really, for the Hokage's son not to believe in that. He didn't really understand it, but more because he wouldn't let himself than because it was beyond his grasp.

**12. Dad deserved a better son.  
**He hasn't lived up to expectations. He doesn't mean in strength or skill - he's not doing too badly there, considering his father was 'the Professor', even if he does say so himself. But otherwise - the runaway, the rebel, the smoker, the lazy one, the angry one, the blind one, the foolish one... his father shouldn't have had to put up with that. Not after all the things he did for the village. For _him. _

**13. He really hurt his family when he left.  
**"Asuma," his brother's letters always said, "You don't understand what it's like here. Father misses you. _I _miss you. Please come home."

**14. Asuma never noticed how much he hurt **_**himself**_** by leaving.  
**"Ah, Asuma-san, I see you have decided to become a Konoha shinobi again." In his whole life, no words have ever hurt him more. _I'm his son, _he thought, _And he calls me Asuma-san? _At the time, he was just angry, and he almost left again - would have, if he didn't feel the need to take Hiroshi's place as a shinobi, watch Konohamaru grow - but looking back, he can't help but think it was what he deserved, for hurting his family like that.

**15. Mostly, he came back for Konohamaru.  
**He couldn't even get _coming back_ right. Maybe that was why father was so cold towards him - he knew that Asuma still hadn't really changed.

**16. Asuma can't get rid of the lingering feeling that he was a traitor.  
**He still served the Fire Country, it's true. But, as every shinobi knows, there is a difference between your country and your village.

**17. He knows what his father did for Naruto, for all those years.  
**Asuma is a highly experienced shinobi - he has _met _a jinchuuriki. And then he met... Naruto. It humbled him that his father had done so much for one child, and never once faltered in his duty to the village. It also troubled him that Naruto had shown far more gratitude towards him than Asuma ever did... for anything.

**18. He was too late.  
**Asuma doesn't like being late - that's Kakashi's area of expertise. But he was too late this time to fix anything, to save the relationship with his father. Far, far too late...

**19. He knows he's dying, and he's dying with too many regrets.  
**_Sorry I wasn't more careful, Kurenai, my son/daughter - sorry I wasn't as strong as you thought, Konohamaru - sorry I can't look after him any more, Hiroshi - sorry I can't guide you any more, Shikamaru, Choji, Ino... sorry, Konoha, that I didn't die protecting someone precious to me... sorry that I _still _haven't made up for it, Dad... _

**20. **_**"I'm proud to be your son."  
**_Asuma desperately wishes he'd been able to tell him. Just once.

* * *

**A/N: **I think canon Asuma is one of the least angsty characters I know. My god, what have I done?!

The next one is more than half-done, so I think it should be up reasonably quickly. :x I'm not necessarily promising anything though because I'm finding it kind of difficult to write.


	14. Gaara & Kankuro

**XIV: Like Family Again**

Gaara finds being Kankuro's younger brother an odd experience.

* * *

**1. He finds it very similar to how Yashamaru used to treat him.  
**There are enough differences to stop Gaara from wanting to curling up in a corner and cry - but it is still similar. He remembers what Yashamaru's smiles used to be like, though, and there's something subtly different in Kankuro's and Temari's... and it's enough for him to trust them. Because this time, love seems _real. _

**2. He's never been a younger brother before.  
**Although _technically _Gaara's always been one, he knows there's more to being a younger brother than just blood. He wishes he knew what that was,no matter how much Kankuro says it doesn't matter, because he already is.

**3. Gaara is the more experienced shinobi.  
**He knows it, and his brother knows it too. But Kankuro still gives him advice, and Gaara still takes it (most of the time). Do all younger brothers get this kind of guidance?

**4. Gaara wants to protect him.  
**He only wanted to kill him before, so that's an odd experience in of itself.

**5. But he also wants to be **_**protected.  
**_On an intellectual level, he knows he's the stronger of the two... but he wants to feel like he's being cared for again. He missed that.

**6. Kankuro looks a lot like their father.  
**When he isn't wearing his kabuki paints, anyway. It's a very... odd feeling for Gaara, to see Kankuro and be reminded of what he hates so much, but at the same time the warmth he's come to associate with his siblings and never thought he'd feel again. Kankuro understands as well - that's why he continues to hide his face.

**7. He has gotten Gaara acquainted with "sarcasm".  
**Gaara's surprised to find that he's rather good at it, mainly because he can keep a perfect straight face. His brother muttered something about him having a lot of practise. He's pretty sure he answered with something snarky, but Gaara can't remember what it was, because the important thing at the time was to change the guilty look on Kankuro's face for something else.

**8. Kankuro trusts him not to kill him.  
**Nobody has done that - well, _hadn't_ done that, not before. And Kankuro was one of the ones he threatened the most. Yet now... he trusts him. Completely. He's not sure how he's supposed to deal with that.

**9. He forgave him too easily.  
**At least it seems that way to Gaara. After threatening him, terrifying him for as long as Gaara can remember - Kankuro forgives him for it. Within months. He _thinks_ Kankuro's forgiveness is real, but this doesn't stop the fear he has of it being taken away again, and the desperate hope that it never is.

**10. Kankuro seems to think that Gaara should forgive **_**him.  
**_Gaara would in a heartbeat, of course. He just can't think of anything to forgive him for.

**11. His brother is willing to die for him.  
**He almost _did. _Nobody has ever shown they cared that much before.

**12. Gaara doesn't want him to do that.  
**He never used to care about the lives of others, but now the thought of how close Kankuro came to dying really... _hurts. _He wants his big brother to stay.

**13. He needs help.  
**This is something Gaara had never needed before, either, or at least never wanted - but being the Kazekage requires more than the ability to kill. He finds it strange, that Kankuro is so willing to help him, but he appreciates it nonetheless.

**14. He used to be able to terrify Kankuro with a glare.  
**Now, that exact same glare will just get him a smirk and (occasionally) ruffled hair. He's not sure what the difference is, but he's glad Kankuro isn't scared of him anymore.

**15. He hasn't been criticised before.  
**Nobody dared. But now, sometimes, when he says something, Kankuro will reply, "That's stupid, Gaara." It annoys him immensely, but he doesn't really mind. Annoyance is better than what he had before.

**16. Kankuro can confide in him.  
**Gaara thinks this is the oddest thing by far. It is one thing for his brother to trust him not to kill him - it is quite another to trust him with things like _secrets _and _worries_. Things that have no presence in the physical realm are all the harder to hold on to. Gaara knows this best of all, and can't quite believe that Kankuro is giving them to him so easily. He treasures them, all the same.

**17. For once, they are equals.  
**Kankuro doesn't defer to him anymore, even though, technically, Gaara actually _does _have authority over him now. His brother doesn't seem to let this get in his way of them being a family, or caring for him. Gaara is so grateful for this that it makes him want to cry, but he doesn't, in case Kankuro starts worrying about him.

**18. He hasn't seen Kankuro care about anyone like this before.  
**Not even Temari. Their relationship is different but similar at the same time; they still love each other, but Temari refuses to be protected by _anybody. _(Kankuro wouldn't dare ruffle her hair, either.) The differences are what make them family, so he doesn't mind.

**19. Gaara was born to be a weapon.  
**He's not supposed to _have _family.

**20. Kankuro is normally so stubborn.  
**He has confessed that he used to think of Gaara as a weapon, too. Gaara isn't sure how he managed to change his mind, but he's glad he did. He wouldn't give up his older brother for the world.

* * *

**A/N: **This took me a while because I found it kinda hard to get inside Gaara's head. Also, this was originally going to be from Kankuro's POV, but that was harder. XP Not sure when I can get another one up, I think the next few are going to be difficult for me. I'll do my best!

If you're interested, there's also a sort of tie-in story for #6 called "Family Resemblance".

Aaaannd... The Two Of Us now has **50 faves! **Thank you everyone who keeps reading this, that's what makes it worthwhile! I hope you all continue to enjoy it. :)


	15. Jiraiya & Minato

**XV: Almost Like a Son**

Jiraiya never had children. But then again, he did have Minato, and that was enough.

* * *

**1. Minato is probably better than any child of his could've been.**  
It's an awful thing to say, but almost certainly true. He would be forever comparing his kid to Minato, and finding Minato the better. He imagines that it would have been even worse than Sensei constantly comparing him to Orochimaru, and, like him, he wouldn't have even realised what he was doing. It's better that no child has to suffer that (again).

**2. He had faith in him from the beginning.**  
Respect was something you earned; faith was a gift. Everyone respected Jiraiya eventually. No one had faith in him like Minato did.

**3. He kept him sane.**  
When his own team fell apart, when Jiraiya could have spiralled so deep into bitterness and self-hatred that there was no hope of getting out again - Minato was there, with his dumb smile, asking his sensei what they were going to learn today.

**4. When his teammates died, Minato turned to **_**him.**_  
Jiraiya's team had fragmented in an entirely different way, and he wasn't sure how to comfort him. But he stuck around anyway, and never felt as proud of himself as when he found that just his presence was a help.

**5. Jiraiya didn't have a chance to make his own family.**  
At least, he thought not, until Minato started introducing him as "practically my dad" and suggesting that he would be the most embarrassing grandfather _ever_, and he realised that he had.

**6. Minato always behaved like a kid.**  
Even though he was by far the best of his team, at the same time, he was the goofiest. He was the one who dragged everyone out for food to celebrate a mission, or a birthday, or to check out the festival. He was the reason they had _fun. _

**7. He made Jiraiya feel like part of a family.**  
Komuko and Hirata were lovely kids, really. But they had their own homes to return to, and they didn't reach out for him like Minato did.

**8. No one had ever done that before.**  
Jiraiya doesn't remember his own family, not really, and his own team might have been close (back then), but Sarutobi-sensei had his sons and wife, Orochimaru was too private and reserved, and Tsunade was a _Senju, _practically royalty, and that distance was always too much for Jiraiya to handle. Minato made an effort to _close _the difference between them... just because he wanted to.

**9. Minato was a genius.**  
And who wouldn't be proud of training a _stable_ one of those?

**10. He was far greater than him.**  
Yet he still kept coming to Jiraiya for approval, even when he expected to be the _last _thing on his student's mind. ("What do you think of Shioko for a girl, Sensei? I haven't asked Kushina yet; I wanted to hear what you'd say first - you're good with names!")

**11. Jiraiya became famous for being a **_**teacher**_**.**  
Not for all the terrible things he'd done in the wars, or for his own power, or for his teammates. He became famous as the man who helped the Yondaime become who he was. If he has to be remembered forever, then that's how he wants it to be.

**12. He was first choice to be Naruto's godfather.**  
Not Sarutobi-sensei. Not any of Minato's or Kushina's friends. Not even Kakashi or Rin. _Him. _

**13. **_**He's**_** the one who taught Minato how to be a father.**  
When Kushina became pregnant, Jiraiya asked Minato if he was nervous. But he just laughed and said, "Why should I be? I have your example to work from, Sensei!"

**14. It's one of the few things Jiraiya thinks he's succeeded at.**  
Even though Minato never got a chance to become a father - Jiraiya did well. He knows he did.

**15. He just doesn't know **_**how.**_  
And that, maybe, is the most magical thing about it. Jiraiya was just himself. He didn't do anything special - and yet, he made himself special to this kid. He's not a superstitious man, not really, but... that's the sort of thing that feels like it was meant to be.

**16. Jiraiya has only wanted to die once.**  
It was an unbelievably selfish thought, and with all his responsibilities, it didn't last. But to his dying day he will remember the feeling of knowing his student _(son) _was dead; will remember watching his funeral from the Hokage Monument because he couldn't see it up close _(you were mine to protect and I failed, I failed, why are you dead when it should be me, when it deserves to be me, why why WHY) _without wanting to scream.

**17. Nothing hurt as much as Minato's death did.**  
Nothing has, and nothing will. The pain doesn't fade with time, only disguises itself - the wounds are still as raw as the day they were made. If Jiraiya could have loved any kid more than Minato, he's glad he didn't, because he surely couldn't survive anything worse than this.

**18. Minato made him **_**believe.**_  
Jiraiya had almost given up on peace. But then he watched Minato walk out of a war almost unharmed, a war that he had half-won by himself, and he listened to him promise: "I'll stop this, Sensei. I won't let a war like this happen again. I won't let people be hurt like this again." And Jiraiya believed every single word of it.

**19. He was supposed to be Jiraiya's successor.**  
In the end, he became someone else altogether - far more brilliant, courageous, successful, and strong (and about as attractive) as his teacher, and Jiraiya thinks that was the best possible ending to their story.

**20. Most importantly, Jiraiya somehow made him **_**happy.**_  
Even dying for Konoha he was happy, the altruistic little bastard. Sensei or father, dead or alive, he couldn't ask for anything more than that.

* * *

**A/N**: I think it's safe to say that you can ignore any and all promises I make in regards to updating this. That said... I made myself sit down and finish this one _and it worked! _Muahaha!

All joking aside, I'm not happy with the order here, but I've spent a while playing with it without much improvement - I figured at this point I should probably just put it out there. Comments, as always, are loved.


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